What happened
On the afternoon of 13 March 2016, a private flight involving an Ela-08 gyrocopter, registration ZU-EFO, resulted in a fatal accident near Lephalale, Limpopo Province. The aircraft departed from Ellisras Airport (FAER) with a pilot and one passenger, intending to conduct a local flight before returning to the same aerodrome.
While flying over a dam on the private Fancy Farm, witnesses observed the aircraft traveling at high speed and at an extremely low altitude, approximately two metres above the water's surface. During this low-level flight, the aircraft struck a zip line cable that spanned the width of the dam. The impact caused the pilot to lose control, leading the aircraft to crash into bushy terrain roughly 180 metres from the cable. An explosion followed the impact, triggering a post-crash fire that consumed the wreckage. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the wreckage, witness accounts, and aircraft documentation. Investigators determined that the engine was producing power at the moment of impact, as evidenced by damage to the propeller blades. The aircraft's weight and balance were found to be within safe operating limits, and there was no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction contributing to the accident.
Meteorological data indicated relatively calm weather conditions at the time, with no significant weather-related impediments to the flight. However, investigators noted that the aircraft's Authority to Fly was not valid at the time of the occurrence.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the aircraft impacting a zip line cable, which led to a loss of control and the subsequent crash.
- The pilot was flying at an extremely low altitude over the water.
- The accident was exacerbated by a disregard for safe operating procedures.
- The impact forces were so severe that the aircraft's seatbelts detached from their attachments.